The old Dutch town hall on Fatahillah Square, built in 1710, is the centrepiece of the Kota district. Its cool, high-ceilinged rooms display furniture, maps, portraits and artefacts spanning Jakarta's history from its founding as Sunda Kelapa through the VOC era to Indonesian independence. The square outside — cobblestoned and flanked by heritage buildings — is one of the most atmospheric spaces in the city.
Jakarta History Museum
Dutch colonial town hall on Fatahillah Square, now Jakarta's history museum.
A story
The building served as the Batavia town hall and later as a prison. Prisoners were shackled in the flooded basement cells at high tide — conditions that gave it one of the darkest reputations in colonial Southeast Asia.